With the advancement of printing processes and systems, quality control of a finished printed document is performed. A printed document sometimes includes various types of printing defects called streaks. Streaks may be the result of various mechanical disturbances within the printing device. For example, malfunctioning printing gear, contaminants such as, for example, a paper strip or other dirt adhered to a printer drum, or mechanical or physical obstructions such as debris in the printing device preventing proper function of the printer or displacement of parts of the printer that cause the printer to work improperly. The resulting streaks may occur globally on the entire printed page, and comprise a continuous or semi-continuous disturbance through the length of the printed document.
These streaks, whose widths may range from a few pixels up to a few mm, devalue the quality of the printed document. In such a case, a print shop or other dealer in printed materials may potentially loose revenue due to the poor quality of the printed document.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.